We finish one battle over the shutdown and default on our debt only to begin a new battle on different fronts. The first estimates are that the shutdown cost us as a nation more than $34 billion, and there can be no doubt that many creditors have put in place plans to slowly offload our tarnished bonds or at least make us pay a higher rate of interest for borrowing.Having learned nothing from that, the newest Populist heroes opine that they were right to force millions of government workers to stay home. Many, many people have lost ten days pay that they could ill afford to lose, and it will never be made up for many of them. We need to remember who voted in the House to kill the Affordable Care Act 41 different times.US medical care has been in trouble for a very long time, and those who would tear down the ACA offer nothing in its place. They know what they don't want, and that is anything created to reform a system full of rot, rationing of care to the poor, and denial of care to those working in lower paid jobs. What they do not offer is any viable, meaningful substitute.As distasteful as Washington is, we have no choice but to join the game until we can reform how it is played. Remember who voted the way they did, save your newspapers and become informed about these votes. Then start supporting the people who will turn those people out of office as soon as possible.

Author

L.Craig Williams, BA, JD, has studied history and international law in Germany and the US and written extensively about human resources and individual leadership. He believes that all occupations and intellectual effort should be focused on the betterment of the human condition.